328 On the Food of Plants. 
bandry, keeps the hoe constantly i in motion, and now finds 
that he has never occasion for a fallow. 
But the most astonishing effect produced by giving free 
admission of air to the roots of wheat was last year exhibited 
by Mr. Bartley, secretary to the Society of Arts at Bath. 
In August 1800 he sowed his wheat in rows with three-feet 
intervals, and six inches distance from grain to grain. The 
proportion of seed was two quarts to an acre. The soil was 
a deep sandy loam, but out of condition, and filled with 
couch. This wheat was hoed in autumn, hoed again, and 
earthed up.both at Christmas and spring. When it was in 
bloom the ‘intervals were dug up, and it was once more 
earthed up. At harvest this crop yielded sixty-six bushels 
per acre.. Such was its luxuriancy, that many of the plants 
produced 98 perfect ears,’ many of which, nine inches long, - 
contained each 100 grains.. 
In the broad-cast husbandry of the bill counties of Wilts 
and Hants, the produce was formerly three or at most four 
for one, as it was in the greatest part of France. By the 
drill, without hoeing, the return would not be near so” 
much ; but in Mr. Bartley’s crop we see more than 1000 
for 1; and some grains yielded nearly ten times as much*. 
I shall make but one observation more upon this subject, 
which is, that an orchard planted on the green sward re- 
quires double the time for its maturity as one on culti- 
vated land, that has a more plentiful supply of air admitted 
to its roots. 
Thus we see that all the great agents in nature are con- 
cerned in the process of vegetation, and may be considered 
as the food of plants. But to determine in what manner 
each contributes to nutrition, must be left to the investiga 
tion of succeeding generations. 
LI. Letter 
* It must ever be with reluctance that an exception can be taken against 
any argument of so able a writer as the present, especially in a matter of al- 
leved fact. But in this instance it seems proper to remark, that the argument 
drawn from the reported, success of Mr. Bartley should be received with cau- 
tion, on account of the peculiarity of the soil ;—that soil being remarkably 
deep, fat, and productive, and within the limits of a nursery-man’s garden, 
near a city abounding with manure, are circumstances not common to other 
situations. 
